Student faces come and go on the Ohio University Board of Trustees. Nearly indistinguishable, barely noticeable, the student trustees rarely make waves. They arrive, add the title to their resumes and leave without even a ripple.
Chauncey Jackson is the newest student face on the board. He has been tasked with being the voice for the thousands of OU students who are not allowed to attend the trustees’ closed executive sessions. We’ve said before what a student trustee should do, but perhaps even more important is what a student trustee should not do.
Do not use the position as way to advance a personal agenda. This isn’t about your letters of recommendations from high-ranking OU officials. It’s about the direction of this university — and for better or worse, now you’re a part of the decision-making, albeit a non-voting part.
Do not blindly follow the trustees in all matters. Don’t accept everything they do as good for students. It’s OK — no, more than OK — to question what you’re told. You don’t have to be antagonistic. Just realize that the trustees are not all-powerful demigods with infallible judgment. They’re human, and they, too, make mistakes.
Do not ignore the problems facing the average OU student. Two student trustees are not inherently going to represent the needs of 20,000 students. You actually have to try. Don’t be unwilling to listen to the concerns of your fellow students, and don’t automatically rebuff anything they say. They might be wrong. Dead wrong. But they could also be right.
Most importantly, do not remain silent. Student trustees might not vote on the board, but one loud voice can be a powerful tool. For too long, the student voice to the trustees has been far too weak.
Jackson needs to avoid the pitfalls of student trustees past. Outgoing student trustee Lydia Gerthoffer has done little, if anything, for her fellow students in her two years on the board. Tracy Kelly, who is midway through her term, has occasionally spoken up, especially concerning the president’s evaluation. But she, too, has a long way to go. Jackson and Kelly need to work together to remedy the absence of real student input — this is a chance for the two student trustees to present a strong front to the board and to let the students be heard.
Editorials represent the majority opinion of the executive editors.
Reader Comments
ok lets hold up a mirror to the OU students and rewrite a portion of this article:
"[Student Government and Student Trustees] Do not ignore the problems facing the average OU student. [Of course, forty members of Student Senate] are not inherently going to represent the needs of 20,000 students. You actually have to try [to participate in university politics yourself!]. Don’t be unwilling to listen to the concerns of your fellow students [by attending senate meetings and speaking out your opinion], and don’t automatically rebuff anything they say [because they have invested the time to research the things that most OU students accept blindly at face-value]. They might be wrong. Dead wrong [, and understand that no form of government will be 100% efficient]. But they could also be right. [So while we may scold our Senate for being unable to address every students' concern in a nine month time span, let's give them credit for the good they've been able to accomplish]"
You just can't scold the Senate and Trustees if you yourself do not participate in the process. Their jobs and representative efficiency depend on it. I'm getting really upset at the ignorant editorial mindset of The Post when they mindlessly dispatch one reporter to each senate meeting and continually bad-mouth that which they simply do not understand.
The Post is like a hipster teenager who constantly complains about the U.S. Government and the war, but fails to vote and engage in the local/state/national discussions by which our elected representatives formulate their positions.
Vote. Speak out. Do more than read The Post and perpetuate your apathy.
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